Memorials from this past year.
Truro MemorialThe Truro Memorial can be found in the town's main street, Moorundi Street which is part of the Sturt Highway. It was unveiled on the 31st of July 1921, at the time it was a memorial to those in the district who were killed in the Great War. Also it includes the names of 2 service men who drowned soon after they returned. After World War II, the names of those killed in that war were added.
The memorial shows a soldier, carved from Angaston marble, standing to attention on a plinth of pink granite.
Yacka MemorialThe Yacka Memorial is in the main street as you drive through the town. It commemorates the 13 men from the town who were killed in World War I. In November 1947 the South Australian Premier Thomas Playford unveiled a side plaque commemorating those who were killed in World War II. The memorial was unveiled on the 5th of August 1921.
Gladstone, Fallen Soldiers Memorial Fountain
The Memorial Fountain, along with the memorial scroll commemorates those killed in World War I. The original fountain was damaged beyond repair by vandals around 1960, and the memorial scroll was taken away to a private residence and stored.The original fountain was dedicated on the 26th of January 1925. With the Centenary of the Gallipoli landing in 2015, the town received a grant to recreate the fountain, restore the scroll and create a path to the memorial. It was rededicated on the 26th of April 2015.
Gladstone War Memorial
The memorial commemorates those who have died in the various conflicts Australia has been involved in. I couldn't find when it was created but I assume it was at the same time as the Memorial Fountain was rededicated in 2015.
The Wirrabara War Memorial was originally a memorial to those who were killed in World War I. It shows a soldier leaning on his upturned rifle. This version of a soldier was a popular choice for memorials in the 1920s. The original memorial was dedicated on the 18th of December in 1921.
The memorial was refurbished in the 2010s, it took 2 year's of work by members of the the Wirrabara Institute committee. A new marble plate listing the men from Wirrabara who 'answered the call' in World War I was added as well as the names of those who had died in World War II and the Vietnam War. The refurbished memorial was finished in 2014.
The Laura War Memorial, which was dedicated on the 17th of December 1921. It takes the form of a broken column with the names of the fallen on the plinth. The Lest We Forget images behind it are a recent addition, I couldn't find information on it from the Memorial sites I use to research these memorials.
Memorial Gates, they commemorate those men from the town who lost their lives in World War I. The Foundation Stone was laid on the 25th of February 1923 and the gates were opened in 1924. They lead into the town football oval.
I enjoy being able to find the various war memorials in the country towns I pass through. And researching the stories behind them. I do find them poignant as these small towns lost a large percentage of their young men, the desire for them not to be forgotten had the communities erecting these memorials. Most were built in the early 1920s a few years after the war ended, where people's memories were still fresh and still mourning their losses. What is also impressive is how all the memorials I've seen over the years have been restored and more importantly are still well maintained by the local community.
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